A mother jailed for 17 years for killing her six children in a Derby house fire has lost the first round of a bid to challenge the length of her sentence.

Mairead Philpott, 32, was jailed alongside her husband Mick at Nottingham Crown Court in April after being found guilty of the manslaughter of Jade Philpott and her brothers John, Jack, Jesse, Jayden and Duwayne.

A Judicial Office spokeswoman confirmed that Mairead Philpott has had her application for permission to appeal against her sentence refused by a single judge considering it on the papers.

It is open to her to make a renewed application, which would then be considered by a panel of Court of Appeal judges in London.

At the sentencing hearing, Mrs Justice Thirlwall told Philpott she had ignored ''obvious'' risks to her children's lives by going along with a plan to set fire to her home in Allenton, Derby.

Mick Philpott was jailed for life with a minimum term of 15 years after being branded a ''disturbingly dangerous'' man.

His wife, who is likely to be released after serving half of her 17-year term, took part in a plan to set fire to the couple's home in Victory Road in an effort to frame his former mistress.

The children were aged between five and 13.

Paul Mosley, 46, who was also found guilty of six counts of manslaughter and jailed for 17 years, had his sentence application rejected.